On Friday, former President Donald Trump took the stage at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, causing a stir among his supporters as they began comparing the crowd size to Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent event at the same venue.
Harris, who secured her party’s presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention earlier that week, attracted over 15,000 attendees to Phoenix’s Desert Diamond Arena on August 9. The arena can hold a maximum of 19,000 people, according to The Arizona Republic.
The exact number of attendees at Trump’s rally has not been disclosed. However, his campaign quickly touted the event, which featured Robert F. Kennedy Jr. making his first joint appearance with Trump after endorsing him earlier that day, as having significantly larger turnout than Harris’ rally.
Andrew Harnik; OLIVIER TOURON/AFP
Corey Lewandowski, a Trump campaign adviser, tweeted, “Arizona – You are AMAZING! Look at this crowd for @realDonaldTrump!” He celebrated the energy of Trump’s supporters over what he described as a “repackaging” effort by the media and Harris’ campaign.
Arizona – You are AMAZING! Look at this crowd for @realDonaldTrump!
After a week of the Fake News & Democrat Party desperately trying to repackage and astroturf energy for Kamala Harris, it’s great to walk into a room full of REAL passion, energy, and support for President… pic.twitter.com/hmSOY1Gqfy
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) August 23, 2024
Brett Galaszewski from Turning Point Action chimed in, calling Arizona “MAGA Country” as he shared wide-angle images of the event.
Owen Shroyer, a host from the Infowars network, also weighed in, pointing out that both rallies took place at the same venue, noting how Harris’s event had sections of the upper deck blocked off. Shroyer suggested that unlike Harris’s event, Trump didn’t need a performer to energize the crowd.
This is the crowd for Trump’s speech in Phoenix. Exact same venue as Harris just 2 weeks ago, when her event cut the floor in half & had the upper bowl blocked (image included). No performer needed for Trump. They went crazy over her crowd, wonder what they’ll say about Trump’s? pic.twitter.com/olyYvsdHt3
— Owen Shroyer (@OwenShroyer1776) August 23, 2024
While Shroyer’s photos illustrated the differences in crowd configuration, they also reinforced that both events saw considerable attendance, despite variations in venue setup. The Trump campaign had reportedly saturated local media with ads to promote their rally, while the Harris campaign opted not to invest in paid advertising.
Moreover, NBC News journalist Alex Tabet released videos showing both events with blocked-off sections in the upper arena, suggesting that while Trump’s rally might have been more attended, Harris’s rally was not devoid of supporters.
Andrew Harnik
Despite Trump’s habit of claiming larger crowds than reality, this most recent rally series illustrates increasing competition between the two parties. Recent Harris rallies have stirred Trump to make exaggerated claims about crowd sizes, even alleging that the Democratic ticket used AI to fabricate attendees. This week, ratings from the Democratic National Convention also highlighted Trump’s challenges, as they surpassed those of the recent Republican National Convention.